We Didn’t Create the Black Maternal Health Crisis, But We Are Stepping Up To Solve It For too long, Black people have been blamed for the health disparities and poor health outcomes that systemic racism has wrought on our communities and our bodies. There was a beautiful moment right after a baby was born into my hands. I would look in their eyes and wish them a life full of blessings and health. It was my favorite part of my job as an Ob-Gyn–it always felt like such a gift to be in that room. Childbirth is a powerful, joyful moment. It is the culmination of months of waiting and, for some, years of trying to become a parent. For too many Black and indigenous people, pregnancy and childbirth are also the culmination of a lifetime in a society, and a health system, that does not value them or center their health and well-being. That takes tolls on our bodies, minds and spirits. This lifelong devaluation requires us to be resilient, prayerful and strong, while at the same time weathering our bodies and harming our mental health.